To generate new ideas by combining existing elements in a structured way.
- Methodologies: Engineering, Product Design, Project Management
Heuristic Ideation Technique

Heuristic Ideation Technique
- Agile Methodology, Brainstorming, Creativity, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Design Thinking, Ideation, Innovation, Prototyping, User-Centered Design
Objective:
How it’s used:
- This technique uses a matrix of related and unrelated concepts to force connections and spark new ideas. By combining attributes or functions of different products or services, it helps to overcome mental blocks and generate a large number of ideas.
Pros
- Generates a large volume of ideas quickly; Encourages out-of-the-box thinking.
Cons
- The quality of ideas can be variable; It can be time-consuming to evaluate all the generated ideas.
Categories:
- Ideation, Problem Solving
Best for:
- Generating a wide range of new product or service concepts in a short amount of time.
Heuristic Ideation Technique finds application across a diverse range of sectors such as consumer electronics, automotive design, and healthcare, where innovation is paramount for maintaining competitive advantage. During the initial phases of product development, teams can utilize this methodology to explore various aspects of design and functionality, often bringing together interdisciplinary groups that include designers, engineers, and marketing specialists to inject multiple perspectives. This technique can also be effectively employed in brainstorming sessions, workshops, and hackathons, where time is often limited, yet the need for creativity is paramount. Participants in these sessions are usually encouraged to draw connections between seemingly unrelated concepts to stimulate innovative thinking. For instance, an automotive design team may look at features from smartphones, such as touch interfaces and app ecosystems, to inspire new dashboard designs or user interaction paradigms. Through the generation of diverse ideas, teams can shortlist concepts that not only break conventional boundaries but also align with user-centric expectations and market trends. This method serves as a catalyst for evolving initial ideas into robust product prototypes that speak to the needs and desires of consumers while efficiently meeting project timelines. Involving a mix of stakeholders can broaden the discourse, helping to ensure that the final output is both imaginative and feasible.
Key steps of this methodology
- Identify a matrix of attributes or functions from various products or services.
- Establish connections between related and unrelated concepts in the matrix.
- Combine attributes from different categories to create new ideas.
- Encourage rapid brainstorming sessions to generate a large volume of concepts.
- Iterate on the generated ideas by refining and adjusting combinations.
- Select the most promising ideas for further exploration and development.
Pro Tips
- Incorporate user personas into the matrix to anchor ideas in real-world applications, ensuring that connections formed are relevant and actionable.
- Use time constraints during ideation sessions to enhance spontaneity and encourage rapid, instinctual connections between disparate concepts.
- Encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration by inviting experts from unrelated fields into brainstorming sessions to introduce fresh perspectives and unconventional ideas.
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